Electronics
They may still call Akihabara "Electric Town," but the lights have dimmed. Locals haven't shopped here for gadgets in many a year.
Today, most Japanese purchase their electronics online or at a neighborhood big-box electronics chain store.
Akihabara has survived this by branching out. There are as many gaming and hobby shops as there are electronics shops. In fact, this is a better place to look for anime/manga-related and hobbyist items than electronics.
That be said, Akihabara still has appeal. A 200-meter radius from Akihabara Station gives you half a dozen large electronics outlets with large selections. All offer duty-free shopping (bring your passport). There are also some neat little shops with specialty electronics. Walking through will be fun for enthusiasts, but if you have a good idea of what you want (brand and model), then you can bypass Akihabara and shop at one of the other electronics chain stores around the micro-metropolis hubs of Ikebukuro, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Yurakucho, and Ueno.
Most of the Japan Top Ten chain stores listed below can be found in these hubs.
BIC Akihabara
- Google Maps
- Website
- JR Akihabara Station, Yamanote Line, Electric Town Exit
This is your stop if you don't know exactly what electronics you want, and you want some language help. The store is just big enough to allow easy browsing, without being overwhelmingly large and intimidating.
They also have an excellent gift area on the first floor with a nice range of health and beauty items. A nice place to shop for gadgets and some cheaper gifts for friends and family.
+Big range of export items
+Basic language support
+Competitive prices across the board (duty-free discount)
-Not a price leader in any category. If you have time to shop around, you can probably do a bit better, especially if you know exactly what you want.
-They are geared to Chinese tourists and you won't get a lot of English support—just enough help to help you make a purchase.
=The sheer range of choices and the peace of mind you get from the language support might outweigh what you might lose in a few thousand yen.
Yamada Denki LABI Ikebukuro
- Google Maps
- Website
- JR Ikebukuro Station, Yamanote Line, Seibu Main Exit/Central East Exit
This is your stop if you know exactly what you want (brand and model number). They are a price leader in many categories and frequently offer discounts you can't find anywhere else—even online. There's also a bit a room for price negotiation (just a bit ¥1,000~¥2,000—don't press it).
+Highly competitive prices
+Ease of locating items
+Big range
-Virtually no English assistance (but they are polite in telling you that)
-Designated area for export items almost exclusively for Chinese shoppers (check appliances carefully to ensure they meet power requirements of your home country)
=A great place to shop if you feel comfortable navigating around electronics stores on your own and are looking for a good deal. Especially good for items with internationally consistent power (simply charged items or battery-operated items).
Yodobashi Camera Multimedia Akiba
- Google Maps
- Website
- JR Akihabara Station, Yamanote Line, Electric Town Exit
This is one of the top 5 outlets in the Akihabara district. It has your typical Big Box retailer feel, and some good sale prices.
They offer many export models and duty-free discounts.
+One of Akihabara's largest selections
+Export items
+Basic language support
+Competitive prices (duty-free discount)
-Not a price leader in any category. If you have time to shop around, you can probably do a bit better, especially if you know exactly what you want.
Don Quijote Akihabara
- Google Maps
- Website
- JR Akihabara Station, Yamanote Line, Electric Town Exit
Think of a garden maze but with racks of products (most of the products unrelated to each other) instead of walls of bushes. That's Don Quijote.
This is better for smaller electronics, like earphones and health-related electronics.
+Good assortment of small electronics and handheld gadgets
+Competitive prices (on some items, not all)
+Surprises at every turn
-Hard to find certain items
-No help—you're on your own
=It's just a lot of fun to shop here. In addition to electronics, you can pick up a lot of other funky items which Donki (local nickname) has earned its reputation for.
BIC Ikebukuro
- Google Maps
- Website
- JR Ikebukuro Station, Yamanote Line, Seibu Main Exit/Central East Exit
This is right across the street from Yamada LABI and offers a similar product range, but BIC prices are set nationwide, and you won't get the deals you find at LABI.
Also, they're not used to dealing with foreigners besides Chinese. In fact, the immediate floor staff can be somewhat hostile. This is true of other BIC outlets (especially outside Tokyo). And yet the staff is very professional with Japanese and Japanese-speaking customers.
+Big selection (some non-electronics but minimal range compared with Don Quijote)
+Export models on dedicated floor
+Location
-Minimal English support (better for Chinese)
-Not a lot of non-electronics for incidental shopping
=A nice introduction to your typical Japanese electronics store. A big selection in a slightly more compact area than LABI.
Yamada LABI Tokyo Station
- Google Maps
- Website
- JR Tokyo Station, Yaesu Exit
This makes the list for just one reasons: location. A good place to stop in early in your trip, when you're around Tokyo Station, and get a feel for what's available before moving on to better options.
Possibly a place to stop at on the way out of Tokyo in case you missed something. Not a priority.
+Located 2 minutes from Tokyo Station
+Some basic English support
+Some export products
-A fraction of the size of BIC and LABI Ikebukuro
=Your quick stop in or out of the big city.
Don Quijote Shibuya
- Google Maps
- Website
- JR Shibuya Station, Yamanote Line, Hachiko Exit (2-minute walk)
This feels bigger than the Akihabara store, but it's not as fun to shop at. There just aren't as many twists, turns and surprises. It's also a lot more crowded. You'll find long lines on some floors.
As with the Akihabara store, you'll be looking more for small electronics rather than bigger items. For anything beyond portable devices, you should shop at one of the larger specialty electronics shops listed above.
+Location
+Product range besides electronics
+Competitive prices
-Crowds
-Limited range of appliances
=Worth a stop, especially if you're looking to pick up a lot of other gift items at the same time.
BIC Shinjuku East Exit
- Google Maps
- Website
- JR Shinjuku Station, Lumine Exit (East Exit)
One of the reasons Akihabara has become almost irrelevant for electronics is the ability go BIC to provide such services as same-day delivery to hotels and delivery to airports.
This and its sister location on the West side of Shinjuku Station offer as much as you need of the basics. For a bigger range, make the trip to Akihabara.
+Location
+Range
-Geared mainly to Chinese tourists
-Not a price leader
BIC Yurakucho
- Google Maps
- Website
- JR Yurakucho Station, Yamanote Line, Main West Exit or Hibiya Exit
This used to be a department store way back when, so it's REALLY big, especially for a downtown store nearby Ginza and the hotels.
The main draw is its easy access and close proximity to Ginza and other shopping areas.
It also has a selection of just about everything you'd want, including a sizable gift section with food and non-food items. The liquor selection is solid.
+Great location adjacent Ginza
+Big range
+Fairly easy to find items
+Good audio section on first floor
-Minimal language support (even for Chinese)
-Crowded
=You can get just about anything you want here, but if you're looking for more explanation on export models, a trek to Akihabara might be worth it.
Kitamura Camera Shibuya
- Google Maps
- Website
- JR Shibuya Station, Hachiko Exit, Bunkamura Dori
This is primarily a camera and photo printing store. It made the cut for just one reason: it is easily the cheapest place to buy high-end Japanese cameras from a reputable dealer.
And it's not even close—we're talking 10-20% cheaper on a lot of the items. We checked the price of a digital camera at all stores we surveyed, and one model that was typically sold for ¥95,000 was on sale for ¥77,000 here.
+Highly competitive prices
+Professional staff
-Little but cameras and photo printing
-A 10-minute walk from Shibuya station